Reseeding rock?
- Thread starter Hud934
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!wrass!
Premium Member
I used dead rock in my return to the hobby. I wanted to get back in without the huge expenses so I recycled. It took about two months for the pods, worms etc. to populate the tank. It has been about 6 months and the coralline is finally growing well but my lighting was to blame for that I think.
I cleaned the rock, baked it (literally 450 deg for two hours) then baked it in buckets of salt water for a month. I baked it the first time to insure that the uncontrollable turf algae would never return. Most people get cute little hair algae, I had coarse Astroturf that drove me out of the hobby.
I set up the tank with the dead rock, new sand, and a couple pieces of rubble from the LFS and cycled it. I added blue leg hermits and fed them for another month. I added a couple of mushrooms on more rubble to test the waters. Then very slowly added more corals. I had a minor diatom issue but that is it. No hair algae at all. I have no fish but do feed my sun polyps heavily with no issues so the rock is again live.
I have to be honest, the tank looks like sh**. It gets better every day thou.
I cleaned the rock, baked it (literally 450 deg for two hours) then baked it in buckets of salt water for a month. I baked it the first time to insure that the uncontrollable turf algae would never return. Most people get cute little hair algae, I had coarse Astroturf that drove me out of the hobby.
I set up the tank with the dead rock, new sand, and a couple pieces of rubble from the LFS and cycled it. I added blue leg hermits and fed them for another month. I added a couple of mushrooms on more rubble to test the waters. Then very slowly added more corals. I had a minor diatom issue but that is it. No hair algae at all. I have no fish but do feed my sun polyps heavily with no issues so the rock is again live.
I have to be honest, the tank looks like sh**. It gets better every day thou.
nick18tjetta
New member
I started "recycling" my old rock I let dry out from my last rock by letting it soak in fresh water for about a week. I changed the water a couple of times and some nasty gunk really came out of it. Then I let it dry out completly again, before putting it in a trash can with Saltwater, some LR from the LFS , a power head, and my old refugium light. I don't know if its working, but I hope it is.
steelerguy
New member
The best way to seed it would be with some good live rock.
Trying something
Trying something
I took a pic of what I am doing I hope you can view it. It is a 50 gallon rubbermaid, T5 lights, and a skimmer. I also bought some live rock pieces and put them in and I am using some stuff called Purple Up. I have seen so small feather dusters and some of the " New Live Rock I bought some hoprfully they will multiply. I has been running for 3 days now. I did have to bungee the walls because it was bowing out pretty bad ( don't think it was made for 50 gallons of water though I only have 20 in it) Let me what you think..
Trying something
I took a pic of what I am doing I hope you can view it. It is a 50 gallon rubbermaid, T5 lights, and a skimmer. I also bought some live rock pieces and put them in and I am using some stuff called Purple Up. I have seen so small feather dusters and some of the " New Live Rock I bought some hoprfully they will multiply. I has been running for 3 days now. I did have to bungee the walls because it was bowing out pretty bad ( don't think it was made for 50 gallons of water though I only have 20 in it) Let me what you think..
I seeded a two hundred gallon with two nice pieces from an established tank. After six months you can't tell which rocks were seeded and which were the seeds. It was much cheaper and also environmentally friendly. I received about two 55 gallon Rubbermaid filled with rock that was sitting out of water for two years when I bought the tank. I can't imagine what it would have cost to buy that much live rock and to get the nice show size pieces I have.
I agree just make sure that your rock is clean of all loose junk. Then put it in the tank and cycle as normal. Maybe a few more frequte water charges, durring the curring cycle. But I would also add 5-10% of total rock with some preium live rock to seed it with. I prefer to get my seed rock from a local reefer verus a LFS. HTH
silverwolf72
New member
Whats optimal for corline alge production... tanks just rock prob for another month so I'd like it to grow as much as possible. Would 2X24W VHO's be good? That what I have right now till I order my new lights.
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